Bill 148: Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act just passed third reading, making Ontario the 4th province/ state across North America to adopt $15 minimum wage legislation. “The $15 minimum wage will put money where it is deserved and most needed, into workers’ pockets,” said Navi Aujla, who is an organizer in Brampton with the Fight for $15 &… Continue Reading Victory for Ontario workers as Bill 148 passes

Congratulations to each and every one of you! Bill 148 – has officially finished the amendment process and will now be going for 3rd reading. We expect the final vote to take place on Wednesday, November 22, probably quite early in the day. Together, we made this happen. We had to fight for every millimetre of… Continue Reading BREAKING: New labour law is coming!

12,000 Ontario public college faculty are on strike for fairness! These members of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) are standing up for equal pay for contract faculty, job security and academic freedom so that faculty have a stronger voice in the public college system. These issues are about ensuring that students have quality education in the… Continue Reading It’s GO TIME for #15andFairness!

Today is International Day for Decent Work. Thanks to you and the efforts of thousands of others across Ontario, we have much to celebrate for! Over the past year, our growing $15 & Fairness movement successfully pressured the government to introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 by January 1, 2019, which will boost the… Continue Reading Time is running out: Fix equal pay & scheduling

The Toronto Star published a heart-breaking expose revealing the reckless treatment of workers by temporary staffing agencies, and how much the law allows it. Reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh went undercover to investigate the daily realities faced by temp workers, including dangerous working conditions. This must-read story reveals how Ontario companies use temp agencies to avoid their responsibilities as employers. Amina Diaby is one of three temp agency workers killed at… Continue Reading Legislative Assembly Resumes, let’s step up the pressure!

Click to view this 4 minute video and share it with your friends and co-workers The past week, the big business lobby was out peddling the story that decent work and wages are bad for the economy. Seven decades of evidence disprove these myths. So far, thanks to your support and fast action, our elected representatives… Continue Reading Don’t let the Big Business lobby stop us now

It’s been an incredible summer! Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, was sent to committee where consultations took place over ten days in ten different cities. Every step of the way, the Fight for $15 & Fairness had a strong showing. Meanwhile, actions are still unfolding every week in communities across Ontario (click here or scroll below to see the… Continue Reading No time to lose: let’s speak up for $15 & Fairness

You may have heard that the government is planning to make some important improvements to the wages and working conditions of Ontario workers — and this is fantastic news. But, nothing in the current plans are set in stone and we need to fight to make sure that the legislation — Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act (Bill… Continue Reading Fight isn’t over! Help us strengthen Bill 148

Since the Ontario government announced its plans to raise the minimum wage to $15 and introduce other labour law reform, the big business lobby has been busy spewing propaganda. CEOs who earn millions in bonuses have the audacity to argue that a fair minimum wage of $15 that put workers above the poverty line would lead to… Continue Reading Economists support a $15 minimum wage

Today’s announcement by the Ontario government is a package of reforms coming out of the Changing Workplaces Review and our Fight for $15 and Fairness. If enacted, the changes represent a huge victory for workers across Ontario! Although we didn’t get everything we wanted, we have won major improvements in most areas of our campaign. Here are some… Continue Reading Historic breakthrough for $15 & Fairness

The CBC’s Mike Crawley and the Toronto Star’s Martin Regg Cohn have published leaked information from Liberal cabinet members that show many of our $15 and Fairness demands are being considered for legislation. But there is a real battle underway — what we do now will make all the difference. According to Martin Regg Cohn: “Government sources say… Continue Reading Call your MPP right NOW! ⏰

For this Mother’s Day, join us in wishing $15 & Fairness for all those who parent and take care of our communities! Too many mothers in Ontario struggle to make a living in the absence of affordable child care, equal pay for equal work, access to Employment Insurance, and a shortage of hours. So many care… Continue Reading New video – $15 & Fairness for all care providers

Despite widespread speculation the Liberal government would use the 2017 Ontario Budget to announce a $15 minimum wage and sweeping changes to the province’s labour laws, we were left disappointed. Take a moment now to sign this letter to tell Premier Kathleen Wynne: we need action now. In 2014, the Wynne government committed to review labour and employment… Continue Reading Ontario Budget: Tell Premier Wynne we need action

There is widespread speculation that the April 27 Ontario Budget will announce government support for a $15 minimum wage — to be implemented in 2018. (See the news stories by: Bob Hepburn; Jaime Watt; Andrew Steele; and Mike Crawley.) There is further speculation that the government will signal its intention to amend Ontario’s labour and employment… Continue Reading The time to act is now.

Earlier this month, more than 200 organizers from across Ontario met in Toronto for the annual $15 & Fairness Provincial Strategy Meeting (check out the photos here). This strategy meeting was not only the biggest one we had so far, but it was also an incredibly important one. With the Ontario provincial election scheduled for… Continue Reading Catch the wind of change near you

The Ministry of Labour just announced that Ontario’s general minimum wage will be adjusted upward by 20 cents as of October 1, 2017 to keep up with rising prices. We must remember that this measure does not increase the minimum wage; it merely helps maintain the original $11.00 value that was established in 2014 by the Ontario government –… Continue Reading Time for $15 now! Not just 20 cents.

Join us to share strategies for building a strong, multiracial workers’ movement that unites union and non-union workers. Together we can raise the floor of wages and working conditions everywhere. Event admission: Free. Please let us know you are coming by visiting the Facebook event page, don’t forget to invite your friends and coworkers. Panel… Continue Reading Public Forum: Building Unity in the Era of Trump

With the February 28 Changing Workplaces Review deadline in the rearview mirror, its up to us to build the confidence of every MPP to make protecting workers a priority during the current legislative session. In the coming days, the government will deliberate on which recommendations they will implement. A recent CBC news story suggests that… Continue Reading Changing Workplaces Review update

These days there is an incredible momentum in Ontario campuses as students, workers and faculty get ready for the February 14 Outreach Blitz: Campuses Love $15 & Fairness. Increasingly, students are being squeezed by the rising tuition fees and low-wages. Campus workers deal with appalling working conditions and contracting out. Meanwhile faculty staff juggle piecemeal contracts, while… Continue Reading February 14 – Ontario day of action on campuses

The past few weeks have been difficult, with members of our communities targeted by hateful attacks and policies. In response, however, millions of people have mobilized in an incredible show of solidarity, and resistance. Magnificent demonstrations have taken place starting with the Women’s March on January 21, which brought together 60,000 people in Toronto alone… Continue Reading Fairness means: End Islamophobia, stop racism

Thanks to thousands of supporters across Ontario and the important work we undertook last year, 2017 is off to a fantastic start for the Fight for $15 & Fairness! Within the first two weeks of January, organizing meetings for the campaign were held in Oshawa, Toronto, Niagara and by the Decent Work & Health Network.… Continue Reading 2017 has kicked into high gear!

Ending the year on a high note! After months of incredible organizing done throughout communities across Ontario, we are expecting the final recommendations of the Changing Workplaces Review to be released at the end of March or early April. Kevin Flynn, the Minister of Labour, has promised to table meaningful legislative changes in the Spring of 2017.… Continue Reading 2017 is our year to win

Today is a big day. Migrant workers just won a repeal of the discriminatory 4-and-4 rule that has forced thousands of people to leave or become undocumented over the last year. This victory is just in time for December 18th – International Migrants Day. While changes are being won at the federal level, so much… Continue Reading Take action for migrant workers

With December already here, we can see the end of 2016 — but our campaign shows little sign of slowing down! In the past few days, $15 & Fairness meetings were held in Kingston, Ottawa and Toronto, and our Decent Work Sing-Along videos are pouring in from across the province! And there’s lots of time to keep spreading $15 &… Continue Reading Help us spread $15 & Fairness cheer!

This year the Fight for $15 and Fairness will be asking everyone to sign a holiday postcard to their Member of Provincial Parliament. We want to make sure that all MPPs know that voters in their ridings are expecting MPPs to deliver decent work legislation in 2017. Let us know right away how many postcards you… Continue Reading Let’s gear up for the holidays!

It’s Fair Employment Week! Right now, college and university faculty are campaigning to put decent work back on the agenda at post-secondary institutions across Canada and Quebec. Take a moment to pledge your support at WeTeachOntario.ca. To share on Facebook click here. Too many faculty are working on short, partial-term contracts where they face job… Continue Reading Week of action on campuses!

Leaders from a variety of faith communities have launched an online statement in support of the campaign for $15 and Fairness. The statement reads, in part: “As religious and spiritual leaders, we have a history of pursuing fairness, justice, and compassion in our communities. We know that decent working conditions are essential to strong and prosperous… Continue Reading Faith leaders speak out for decent work

The October 1 rally drew thousands from across Ontario to Queen’s Park where we stood together calling for a $15 minimum wage and fairness for all workers. We heard from public and private sector workers, including those who work in retail, hospitality and food services, construction, libraries, security, colleges, universities and more. Together we sent a strong… Continue Reading What a kick-off we had for Decent Work Week!

Throughout Ontario, workers are organizing in their communities to bring the $15 & Fairness message directly to Queen’s Park on October 1st. Scroll down for more information about the October 1st rally and how to get there. Latest bus information Labour councils, community groups and allies are sponsoring buses to bring people from across Ontario to Queen’s Park… Continue Reading Latest bus information for October 1st

October 7 is the World Day for Decent Work and gets celebrated in communities around the globe. Here in Ontario the Fight for $15 & Fairness campaign and allies will mark the day by organizing a week of action that will be kicked off with a mass-rally at Queen’s Park on October 1st. With the… Continue Reading Announcing the Decent Work Week of Action

The Fight for $15 and Fairness has had a fantastic summer of organizing and mobilizing in communities across Ontario, from Windsor to Thunder Bay! We organized in our workplaces, communities and campuses, drawing hundreds of people to forums, outreach blitzes and skills-sharing events. Labour Day celebrations across Ontario provided a critical platform to raise the… Continue Reading Count down to October 1 – Decent Work Week

Did you know that if you are working at a company with fewer than 50 workers you can be fired for taking an unpaid day off because of an illness or family emergency? Personal Emergency Leave (PEL) allows workers to take up to 10 days of unpaid leave per year to deal with personal illness, an emergency… Continue Reading Everyone should have access to Personal Emergency Leave

The Ministry of Labour’s much anticipated Interim Report of the Changing Workplaces Review was released on July 27 and as we mentioned previously, it is clear that all of our organizing across the province has made a big impact. In the report, the advisors state: “We believe that decency at work is a fundamental and… Continue Reading Join us during August and on Labour Day!

Today, the Ministry of Labour’s Special Advisors publicly released the Changing Workplaces Review Interim Report that documents a wide array of options to address precarious work through changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act. For the past year, many groups across the province, including community leaders, union members, health workers, students, temp workers and… Continue Reading Announcing the Interim Report for Changing Workplace Review

We are still awaiting the first report of the Ministry of Labour’s Changing Workplaces Review which is intended to modernize the laws that govern our work and workplaces. The first or “interim” report was originally promised for February 2016, and has been delayed every month since then. Our most recent information suggests it will be released this week,… Continue Reading Make the most of summer – join a local action

July is off to such a fantastic start for the Fight for $15 & Fairness! Last week Alberta government announced they would increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2018. Here in Ontario, we too have come a long way in putting decent work on the government’s agenda – see it for yourself in this storify. With your support and by… Continue Reading Join a summer organizing meeting near you!

On Wednesday, June 1st, we are hosting the Canadian Premiere of the award-winning documentary A Day’s Work, which exposes the harsh conditions faced by temp agency workers. We will hold two free screenings in Toronto: at 14:00 and 19:00. The film tells the story of 21-year-old Day Davis who was killed on his first day of work… Continue Reading Announcing A Day’s Work Film Screening

7 provinces, 30 municipalities, many news stories and a #15andFairness hashtag that trended throughout the day on Twitter. That’s what the April 15 pan-Canadian day of action for a $15 minimum wage and fair working conditions looked like – and you did it! This movement is growing because of the many workers, students, labour council members, health providers, teachers,… Continue Reading Report back on the April 15 Day of Action

April 15 is our time to let Ontario members of provincial parliament know that we are watching them closely — and we want them to be champions of decent work. Here is the line-up for the April 15 actions happening in Toronto. For questions, email: Fightfor15andFairness@gmail.com Health provider leaflet blitz 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Dufferin Subway Station,… Continue Reading Toronto Actions for April 15

Have you seen the poll announced today as part of the day of action against the rise of precarious work at Ontario universities? Here is what workers are saying: 88% of Ontarians want part-time professors to be converted into full-time positions before more part-time professors are hired. 85% want part-time professors to receive fair pay… Continue Reading Ontario workers are demanding fairness

Have you had enough of bad bosses breaking the law, the continuous rise of precarious work and the lack of legislated paid sick days? If so, we need your voice more than ever in the weeks and months ahead. Here’s why: Seizing the Moment Last year, the Ministry of Labour initiated the Changing Workplaces Review, a re-assessment of all our… Continue Reading 2016 is the year!

This is just a note to wish you a happy holiday season and to thank you for all your ongoing support for the Fight for $15 & Fairness. If you haven’t done so already, we hope you’ll send an email to Premier Kathleen Wynne asking her to change the laws to make work better for… Continue Reading Holiday wishes from the campaign

Are you a part-timer, “just-in-time” hire, temp worker? Ontario’s retail and service sector workers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Families are unable to make ends meet because of insufficient hours, ever-changing schedules and poverty wages. This needs to stop! Workers deserve a $15 minimum wage and fairness on the job. Join us in… Continue Reading Day of action for retail workers

Ontario law leaves workers without protection when it comes to unstable hours and erratic schedules. Too many workers are on-call without pay, with no guarantee of hours or overtime. You can’t pay rent on question marks, nor can you buy groceries or arrange childcare. Workers deserve decent hours that pay the bills, respect at work and predictable schedules.… Continue Reading Can you pay rent on question marks?

Health providers know that we need better sick day policies in Ontario. Every day, they see the consequences of Ontario’s outdated laws in their clinics and emergency rooms. Health workers and advocates organized during November, the start of the flu season, to call attention to the need for legislated paid sick days. And what a month it was!… Continue Reading When Health Workers Speak Out, Elected Officials Notice!

Click here to watch this 2.5 minute video and to share it with your friends and co-workers Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care advises people to stay home if they are sick. For millions of workers, however, this is not an option. Current employment law leaves workers without any paid sick day guarantees, forcing them… Continue Reading New video: Fairness means paid sick days

With the start of the flu season, health care providers and advocates are telling our elected officials that paid sick days is a matter of public health. Thanks to the hard work of the $15 & Fairness supporters across the province, last Thursday’s release of the public statement for paid sick days with well over 700 signatures was… Continue Reading Campaign for paid sick days launched at Queen’s Park

Today, Operation Maple is releasing a new video highlighting the need for a $15 minimum wage for workers who fall under federal rules and regulations. Such workers include airline workers, bank tellers, certain call centre workers, and many others whose working conditions are not governed by provincial laws. You can watch the video here and help promote it on Facebook and Twitter. You might consider… Continue Reading $15 Federal Minimum Wage: Operation Maple Releases New Video

The Federal Election is now in full swing and we have a chance to make fair wages a key election issue. The popularity of the Fight for $15 & Fairness campaign in Ontario and similar campaigns in BC, Nova Scotia and elsewhere has pushed at least one federal party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), to promise a $15 minimum wage for all… Continue Reading Federal Election Alert: Let’s ramp up the fight for decent work!

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the Ontario government’s review of provincial labour laws, the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR). The review is an opportunity to make key changes to the Employment Standards Act that could better protect workers and push back against precarious and low-wage jobs. We have been organizing across the province to make sure these changes… Continue Reading The Fight for $15 & Fairness is a gender pay equity issue

The Fight for $15 & Fairness has been busy this week! In Cambridge last night, the Social Planning Council of Cambridge & North Dumpfries and the House of Friendship organized a forum on employment standards and decent work. Over 60 people turned out to hear from workers in the community and their experiences of bad jobs. David… Continue Reading This week’s round-up: Talking about decent work across Ontario

Last week, Unifor Local 414, the union representing 4,000 workers at Metro grocery stores in the Greater Toronto Area, negotiated a collective agreement that pushes back on erratic scheduling and insufficient hours for part-time workers. Read about the agreement here. The agreement guarantees minimum hours for workers and requires that workers get their schedules 5… Continue Reading Grocery store workers pushing back on unfair scheduling and hours

Ontarians call in to talk about decent work and the labour law review On July 2, Deena Ladd from the Workers’ Action Centre was on CBC radio’s Ontario Today phone-in show to talk about decent work and how the government’s labour law review could help us get there. Workers and concerned individuals from across Ontario… Continue Reading Ontario talks about decent work & climate justice

In May, the Toronto Star did a four-part series on precarious work, highlighting some key areas where the law needs to change to better protect workers. One article focused on temp agencies, and how the law does not adequately regulate them or the companies who use them. The story focused on Angel Reyes, who had been working through the… Continue Reading Temp agency workers in limbo: it’s time for change

During Constituency Week in May, members of the Fight for $15 & Fairness met with MPPs across the province to talk about the government’s review of labour laws that is currently underway, and put forward our demands for how the laws should better protect workers. And the results are already showing. MPP Cristina Martins (Davenport) submitted a letter… Continue Reading MPPs responding to calls to make our labour laws better

The Ontario government has announced the dates and locations of the first public consultations being undertaken for its review of labour laws, the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR). The dates and locations are as follows: To register to make a presentation at the consultations, email CWR.SpecialAdvisors@ontario.ca or call 1-888-868-5844. You can also submit your testimony in… Continue Reading Public consultations announced for review of Ontario’s labour laws

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in Ontario. This is an important opportunity for changing the laws to better protect workers. The Toronto Star is doing a four-part series on some of the key issues facing workers in precarious and low-wage jobs in the province.… Continue Reading Toronto Star series on precarious work: every Monday in May

On April 15, workers across Ontario and across North America will be out on the streets to demand decent work. Workers will be walking off the job in over 100 US cities, with solidarity actions in 40 countries around the world, in their Fight for $15. We will be launching the Fight for $15 &… Continue Reading April 15th Day of Action

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act, during which it will undertake “consultations on the changing nature of modern workplaces”. Members of the Workers’ Action Centre have spent the past year, building upon previous research, identifying key problems workers are facing in the labour market… Continue Reading Report Released: Still Working on the Edge